Recoil reducing device for firearms



May 7, 1957 R. THlEL RECOIL REDUCING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS ATTOR NE YRALPH THIEL Filed Oct. 16, 1952.

United States Patent RECOIL REDUCING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS Ralph T-hiel,Seaside, Calif.

Application October 16, 1952, Serial No. 315,027

2 Claims. (CI. 89-14) This invention relates to a recoilless rifle, itsobject being to provide a rifle which does not bruise the shoulder ofthe user as each shot is fired and thereby makes it practical to fire arifle on full automatic from the shoulder, if deired. The sound of theshot is also muffled to a certain extent and the muzzle flash reducedthrough the use of this invention, but recoil elimination is its primaryobjective.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the at tached drawings inwhich:

Figure l is a vertical plan view showing a rifle modified in accordancewith my invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view showing the rifle stock and jacket only;

Figure 3 is a partial vertical cross-section taken along the line 33 ofFigure 2, but on a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a vertical elevation showing the tip of the rifle barrel,with the jacket in section;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 55 of Figure3; and

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 66 of Figure4.

Like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

The firing mechanism has not been shown in detail, since anyconventional rifle such as the 30-06 M1 used by the United States Armymay be modified in accordance with the invention. In order to so modifya conventional rifle, a series of spaced transverse oval holes 10 arebored in the sides and bottom of the barrel 11. Advantageously, theseholes are in diameter, about twenty-one in number and bored in the sixinches of the barrel nearest the muzzle. The rifling and a small amountof the barrel are reamed from this section. If necessary the barrel maybe made six inches longer than usual to compensate for the reamed outsection. It is important that the holes 10 be exactly aligned with thecenters of each group of three holes lying in the same transverse planein order to keep the barrel from flexing when the rifle is fired. Thebarrel is encased in a jacket 12 which fits snugly against the barrel atits forward end, leads backward past the firing mechanism 13 into aslotted pipe 15, and terminates in the hollow stock 14 as best seen inFigure 3. The slots 16 in the pipe extend about Va of the way throughthe pipe, and are sufliciently numerous and of such dimensions thattheir total crosssectional area is much greater than that of pipe 15, soas to permit all exhaust gases entering said pipe to pass out throughsaid slots without material obstruction of their flow. The bottom of thestock 14 is perforated by a large number of holes 17, and again thenumber and dimensions of these holes are such as to present a minimumobstruction to the flow of exhaust gases therethrough. Purely by way ofexample, and not as a limitation, in one specific embodiment ofapplicants invention Patented May 7, 1957 a hollow stock of conventionalsize is provided with 168 holes having a diameter of A; of an inch each.

The stock 14 has an asbestos cover 18, surmounted by a leather covering19 to protect the shoulder from excessive heat. The weapon supportinghand of the riflernan may be protected from excessive heat by use of aconventional forearm (not shown), lined with asbestos.

The operation of the invention is believed obvious. When a shot isfired, exhaust gases are generated which ordinarily pass out the muzzleof the rifle behind the bullet. It has been found that it is the impactof these gases upon the surrounding air, rather than that of the bulletwhich gives rise to the largest portion of the force of the recoil ofthe weapon. Once the initial explosion has taken place and the bullethas left the barrel, these gases have served their only useful purpose.It has heretofore been proposed to attach cumbersome extensions known asmuzzle breaks to the muzzle end of the barrel through which the gasesare vented laterally thereof to the atmosphere. These add materially tothe length and unwieldiness of the weapon and, unless the openings areperfectly spaced about the barrel, tend to throw the muzzle out of lineas the weapon is fired. They operate on the general principle ofthrowing the exhaust against a baflle so as to transfer effectivedirection of the force. Applicants invention, on the other hand, isdesigned to avoid so far as possible the interposition of any means forrestricting the expansion of the gases. Instead, they are permitted toexpand as freely as possible, and merely guided to a location from whichthey may be expelled from the gun without interfering with the accuracyof the weapon.

It will be understood that various changes in structure andmodifications in design may be adopted within the scope of the inventionas defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A rifle comprising a barrel, a hollow stock vented to the atmosphereat its lower side, and a jacket enclosing said barrel, said jacket beingclosed at its forward end and opening at its rear end into said hollowstock, and said barrel having a longitudinal bore vented into saidjacket through a plurality of radially spaced rows of transverse holes;said jacket and holiow stock, together with the openings connecting themto each other and to the barrel bore and to the atmosphere, forming acontinuous passageway from said barrel to the open air, the leasteffective cross-sectional area of which passageway is greater than thatof said bore to permit the expansion within said passageway of theexhaust gases formed when said rifle is fired and their emission to theatmosphere with a minimum obstruction to their flow.

2. A rifle as claimed in claim 1 in which said lower side of said hollowstock is provided with holes having a total cross-sectional area inexcess of two inches through which the exhaust gases received thereinare vented to the atmosphere.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,380,171 Abbot May 31, 1921 1,901,138 Barnes Mar. 14, 1933 2,515,180Barker July 18, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 90,860 Germany Mar. 11, 1897370,273 Germany Mar. 1, 192.3 420,006 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1934

